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The exact date of his birth is not known even to his family.His children never addressed him as 'father'(rather called him 'elder uncle') for the whole of his life and even after.He fought with his father without any personal reasons.He is no more today.He breathed his last in 1985. I'm talking about a freedom fighter who actively participated in Indian freedom struggle against British rule.His name was Vivekananda Rath and he is my great-grandfather.A native of Athgarh(Orissa),he joined Congress in the initial stages of his 'career'.He went to jail several times.As a result,his own children took him to be a criminal and began to address him 'uncle' .When he had his grandchildren(1970s),he used to tell them the story of the country's struggle-his own struggle.In jails, they were served 'khichdi'(rice with pulses-but for th…

Today is actually a sad day for many Indians who earn their bread by the sheer dint of sweat.Petrol,diesel and domestic fuel(except kerosene) prices have increased by a good percentage.And the government says that proposed hike was many more times than the actual hike.So how does the economy respond to it? Steel and other key industries have suffered within a few hours of the announcement.Today the world will sleep,but all households which run on a stipulated budget will burn the midnight oil-a sign of economic insecurity and general dissent.Spiralling costs of essential commodities has already burdened them.This step is enough to steal their sleep.Who is responsible for this catastrophe?The answer is a bit twisted.No country can help India now,since inflation has been a global phenomenon.The 'Big Brother' is largely responsible for this(its my personal opinion).George W Bush(Junior) waged war against Iraq in 2003,which led to fall of Saddam Hussein.But,the US authoritie…

I got a strong reaction to the post of 1st June,"Girls-a neglected lot?".Many of the respondents were girls.They made it clear-we are not born to die .Boys echoed similar sentiments. In spite of such a favourable reaction, women in India,sadly, are socially backward even in 21st century.There is a silver lining of course.Two female astronauts of Indian origin have made their mark in NASA.Most corporate biggies today hire a larger number of female employees since they are better team workers.This dispels the myth that woman is her own enemy.Nowadays,girls are earning a fat salary,at par with their male counterparts. But,here too, she is subjected to untold misery and trauma.Whenever a female employee climbs up the promotion ladder faster than her male colleagues,she is chided to have 'canvassed' the boss.Similar things occur among men too,but in the former case,it is quite difficult for a gi…

Kamla works at home and does not go to school.She is just seven.Her mother feels it is worthless for a girl to study,by all means she will run a house in future.The mother goes out to work everyday.She is a daily wage labourer.Kamla takes care of her younger siblings at home.Her younger brother goes to the nearby municipal school.Kamla weeps bitterly at night. Manju comes from a middle class family.She works as a school teacher in a private school for a measly salary.She is married to an engineer who lives in another city. Manju is anaemic,she feels shy to ask her mother-in-law some of her favourite items-she basically lives on the leftovers of a large joint family.She needs medical attention-a right that has been denied to her by her in-laws.Anusha is the pampered daughter of a bussiness magnate.She survives on fast food.She is insecure,there's nobody at home or friend circle with whom she can share her thoughts,feelings and aspirations.She wants to do journalism but her …